This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the presently described embodiments. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present embodiments. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
The human body, like that of other animals, depends on oxygen for survival. Humans and many other animals have circulatory systems for delivering oxygen (among other things) to cells in the body. Taking the human body as an example, the human heart pumps oxygenated blood through blood vessels to the cells. As may be appreciated, natural human hearts typically enable both pulmonary circulation (generally, the flow of blood to and from the lungs to allow oxygenation of the blood) and systemic circulation (generally, the delivery of oxygen-rich blood to and return of oxygen-poor blood from cells) by pumping the blood through blood vessels with repeated contractions.
But like many other organs, the heart is susceptible to disease and failure. In some instances, a patient may be diagnosed with a heart defect so severe that a new heart is the recommended treatment. While transplants of natural hearts have been performed for decades, such a procedure requires a suitable donor heart. And patients waiting for new hearts greatly outnumber suitable donors. Artificial hearts may be used to sustain patient life, whether serving as a permanent replacement or as a bridge to a later heart transplant. Artificial hearts may include a centrifugal pump that drives the blood through a patient's circulatory system. Given the physiological importance of the circulatory system, improvements in artificial heart technology may directly lead to improved patient outcomes and quality of life.